As Happy As You Think You Are, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. If you're then you're pretty much as happened as you think so many of you, you say, why don't understand that because I'm not happy and I really want to be.

I don't think so because you have that capacity. See were all addicted to think all of us, even those of us that we looked on with suspicion. They still think all the time. You see, the question is never, are you thinking the question is always what are you thinking joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church, located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word the entire world is on a journey 7 1/2 million people who cannot delay the trip.

All of us are being pulled by the most unbreakable laws in the universe. The on relenting tractor beam of entropy. In other words, were augmented.

This journey cannot be denied. It has a myriad of explanations. Some religions teach that life is a cycle at the end of which are sort of drop into a hopper and then your spit out again day and do another lap others in our culture thinks simply that your life and you dissolve into a pointless, painless oblivion where worms eat your carcass, the prevailing view among our universities and colleges which is existential has that kind of grim view of life. I found this quote from a neck substantial philosopher this week. His view of all life, nothingness, had a seizure's bond in an absurd and absurd universe in one massive cosmic accident. It fills all of us with pain and will figure out again, ending the farce night and I get up every morning face the day and think it's going to be a good day. With that, there is an obstacle, though, to that kind of thinking. His name is Jesus. He is a very different view. He says the journey will be linear, not cyclical. He says that it's a journey that he will take with you he enter Wiens in history creating and redeeming and sustaining. He said I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me shall never die. He promises to take you safely home when you really think about that. Shouldn't that have a profound effect on you of all people, how can we not be happy.

We have the answer solution to the most critical, painful, threatening, scary questions that all humanity faces and yet for many of us that's not the way we are. I realize that all of us take our journey on our own road. I get that and we talk among ourselves.

And when you talk to so many Christians when they describe their life. They use words like disappointed and distressed and tired of the bills are winning out against the income we worry about our parents or our children are our grandchildren were afraid we can't afford retirement are college, what it comes down to for many of you, you feel that you're so distracted. You have so many things going on that you really can't be happy we feel our mind is so full that there is no room in it for happiness.

By the way, that's a mistake on every level. Even on the science level. I'd read a couple weeks ago that you can think 1200 words a minute. That means you can think 20 words a second hard to believe where I stand. You know what that means there's room there's room in your mind to be happy. Open your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 23 Proverbs chapter 23 will get a look at half of one verse to start a profound thing when a series of messages.

This is the final one on what makes you happy and the first time I said that what makes you happy is much more about Oahu than what and I said that if you would believe yourself in the grace of God every day and that you would every day.

Express your thanks and your gratitude for the blessings of God in your life that would certainly contribute to you being happy then I said the second time that what we need to do is we need to approach every single day as the day this is the day that the Lord is made we should rejoice and be glad in it. We should pray more and want less. The last time the challenge was simply this, you can only be as happy as God intended you to be by giving your life away. That's the way were designed as people, but I want to say something more about that because happiness is completely an inside job, and I actually believe it really occurs between your ears. Notice verse seven of Proverbs 23 just the first half of the verse what Solomon says Frazee thinks within himself, so is as a man thinks within himself, so he is you are what you think more than you think you are. That's who you are. That's kind of an interesting perspective. In other words, I would say it may be this way. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, then you're pretty much as happy as you think you are never so many of you, you say, why don't understand that because I'm not happy and I really want to be. I don't think so because you have the capacity you see were all addicted to thinking all of us, even those of us that we look on with suspicion. They still think all the time.

You see, the question is never, are you thinking the question is always what are you thinking what's going on in your head. Your thinking determines your outlook on life determines your emotions. It determines your attitudes Dr. Chris Thurman, Christian psychiatrist, who wrote a book called the lies we believe and is been out for many years.

An excellent book and he said we really need to be careful about the thoughts that we entertain and remember one quote he had in the book the first time I read it I wrote it on.

Don't allow a nickel event to get assigned a $5000 reaction for so many of us would learn from that. But basically what he says is we think certain allies because we think those lies we never become happy to give you some examples about self lies. I must have everyone's love and approval. If that's the case in your life, you're probably not happy.

It's easier to avoid problems in the face them. I can't be happy unless things go my way, self lies, marital lies, it's all your fault. If it takes hard work. We must not be right for each other.

You can and should meet all my needs. I shouldn't have to change marital lies, distortion lies. This is the end of the world, things are never going to change worldly lives.

You can have it all, you're only as good as what you do. Life should be easy. Life should be fair. People are basically good worldly lives, and even religious lies. He writes God's love must be earned. God hates sin in the center and when I hear often because I'm a Christian, God will protect me from any suffering and pain. In other words there something wrong with our thinking in the Bible anticipates that go with me now to Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 in the New Testament.

Romans 12 to the end of the book is the application of all the truths in Romans one through 11. Specifically all the truths between Romans one and the end of chapter 8 in those chapters, you find out how does a person get right with God. How is a person saved and also what are the resources we have. After we are saved, especially the ministry of the Holy Spirit then in 910 11 he get divergent talks about Israel and in chapter 12 verse one he uses the word therefore to start the whole application of section and by doing that what Paul was saying is this, there's one thing you gotta get right before you do all the behavioral things and will get to see what that is. In a moment he says. Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies. That means your lives to present your lives a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. In other words, there has to be a moment in your life as a believer that you basically say a moment to say amen.

I'm going to go I want to present my severe my life.

But then he says this and do not be conformed to this world is kind of interesting. JB Phillips, the great Greek scholar in his paraphrase of the New Testament. He paraphrases this thing is this little phrase is saying to not let the world squeeze you into its mold nice tell that the believers don't do not let the world squeeze you into its mold. He said, but be transformed now. That's the word metamorphosis. In other words, stop, stop being a caterpillar become a butterfly. You see, but how the next phrase. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, the renewing of your mind renewing that's an interesting word.

I better start over so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. When an interesting thing to say, I gotta renew my mind.

That's where we often fail was Christians. I tell you how long I've been teaching this when I started teaching this the analogy that I used is that in our mind. We have a cassette okay we have a cassette. The cassette is the way you think about everything the way you talk when you treat people the way you see the world everything and then you become a believer and God places another cassette in your mind this one though, was empty. All this has is the gospel of Jesus Christ and you say I believe that then I moved on.

By the way, to CDs and now we have dual hard drives. Okay, but that's all you have in your mind and what ends up happening is if you don't fill up that new hard drive you're going to rely completely on the old hard drive and you're going to see your life and think about life just the way you did before you became a Christian. Now the idea is I not only have to fill the new cassette the new CD or that new hard drive up. I have to fill up with the right information, but eventually if I do, it becomes my default. You'll notice that as a Christian when you were first a Christian or even now for many of you I'm sure. How many times have you reacted and said something and then afterwards said while was that stupid. I should've not done that I should've not said that why why did you do it. Why did you say old hard drive see my old hard drive would be like this. Hey, if you push me a pushing back. I didn't start, you push me you personally. I push you back find that in Scripture.

You see what this Jesus, he says turn the other cheek with the policy. Let no one kind word come from your mouth. You see how this works. So eventually when I know those two things I say no. I should've done better, but as I continue to renew my mind it becomes my default. One of the things my wife said to me over all the years that she said you always do the right thing eventually. You see, that's the mind you he says that's what has to happen to us with these two commands using wrong thinking gives me wrong the wrong attitude and the wrong emotions wrong thinking in the wrong attitude create the wrong behavior when I do the wrong behavior. I have devastating consequences. That's the way it works right thinking. On the other hand, gives me positive emotions in a positive attitude. It gives me what the Bible calls wise behavior and fruitful consequences. You see, the question is what you fill this up with what is on that I'm supposed to be doing and want to look at a couple passages but just the first will be Isaiah 55 Old Testament prophet Isaiah chapter 55 in verses 10 and 11 minutes set that up. By the way, with verses eight and nine because her to my favorite, but it tells me my need to have my thinking renewed notice of verse eight says God speaking for my thoughts are not your thoughts right off the bat.

My thoughts are not your thoughts. He says neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord, for his heaven as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours and my thoughts than your thoughts wall that tells me something about my thinking. It isn't even remotely close to God's. He said I can't even compare it you think instinctively in a very different way that I think your waves are very different than mine.

Then he says this for as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

What a great analogy is going to give you a guarantee. He says you know what rain does a plowed field waters the seed and creates the crop. He said that's what it does is it that's how sure I am about what I'm going to say and then he says this so so Shelley says my word he said, so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire without succeeding in the matter for which I sent wow you see what he saying see what is it I put on that other hard drive that's what devoted my life to studying the word you see the whole idea of it got some gotta fill up the hard drive. I know one thing as a Christian I am not intuitively going to think the right way and I am not intuitively going to behave the right way. God says you have to let me fill up your thoughts. He's but I tell you what I guarantee that if you let my thoughts become your thoughts. You see, you are as happy as you think you are one amazing statement now want to take that one step further and go the New Testament. The Philippians chapter 4 in the context is joy and happiness. Philippians chapter 4 verse four is still one of my favorite simply because of the grammar rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. What I love about that. It's imperative mood as a commandment just like the 10 wow you everything about that God's as I got a commandment for you want rejoice.

Be happy. Can you command someone God can see his overview of Ross's book you have been redeemed to be happy. You see, I have saved you will put my Spirit in you so that you can be happy and joyful. You see, that's one of them. I'll be happy he says. Notice the enemy in verse six be anxious for nothing, there's the enemy, happiness, worry and anxiety. By the way, what is worry and anxiety occur between your ears than it seal that works. He says be anxious for nothing but an everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The key to that is the Thanksgiving even before God answers. I think him because he's God is not only great but he's good. He says in the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So my mind can be guarded by God. He said he had a now by the way, let's do an exercise to see if it's working for you. He says finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence in anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. See what recently. He says you need to be thinking because you're going to be because were all addicted to it, he said, but I want to tell you the kind of things you should be thinking about the first thing is whatever is true, I don't know if you realize this once in a while on the media. They say things I hate to say this, you see, you can't let your mind dwell on those kinds of things past you broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs that Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word.

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